

Today’s Mac mini offers other advantages as a media server. I chose to save that $200 because the base-model’s processor is fast enough for a media server, and because, while storage is important for this kind of use, an external hard drive offers more space for less money. For another $200 you can purchase a Mac mini with a i7 processor and a 1TB hard drive.

That mini includes a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and the Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset built into the motherboard. I chose the $599 base-model Mac mini for my media experiment, largely based on its price and performance.

But is it the perfect solution for those anxious to cut the media cord? I spent a month with one to find out. Small, not obscenely expensive, and capable of accessing media locally as well as online, the Mac mini has a lot going for it.
